Pursuit of Happiness
by Ulquiarra
Summary: Re-typed, complete. Hopefully edited. Orihime, using her power, sees the future and decides to change it. Uniting her Espada family and rescuers, they're going to do whatever it takes to win a happy ending for everyone. Ulquihime. Gore, kinda lemony later
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own, hear that silly folks? Someone (phantom105) advised me to separate it and re-proofread it. So, seperated and proofread!  
**

**Part One-**

"I see," Ulquiorra said, looking at his hand. "Yes. This is... the heart?" Ulquiorra's beautiful eyes rose to Orihime's She gazed back, hand still outstretched, even though his hand was long gone. Even more of him disintegrated. Orihime didn't think and desperately flung herself forward, frantic. She didn't know how, but she was going to catch him, and somehow she was going to hold him together. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Ulqui together again, but maybe she could. The last pieces of his ash slipped through her fingers, and she started shrieking. "Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra! ULQUIORRA!" Her fingers scrabbled painfully at the top of the dome, trying to scoop up any of his remains, but Ichigo finally came to his senses and pulled her away when he saw her bloody fingernails.

He pulled her up roughly and demanded, "What's going on?" Orihime dove for the ground again, blubbering Ulquiorra's name. Ichigo kept shaking her, pleading, "I'm here, look, I'm here. Calm down. This is unacceptable. Woman!" Suddenly, Ichigo slapped her. Orihime gasped and woke up.

Ulquiorra was standing above her. "I apologize," he said stiffly. "You were calling my name, and refused to wake." Orihime was oblivious to his apology. She hurtled forward and put her arms around his waist, squeezing hard enough to break the spine of a normal person. Ulquiorra stared at her as if she'd just started reciting the Pledge of Allegiance while doing the Chicken Dance. Normally, that thought would have made Orihime giggle. She was too busy sobbing into his chest, however.

"I thought you were dead!" she bawled. With a trace of impatience, he replied, "Why, woman, would I be dead?" Acting entirely on impulse, Orihime kissed him, and then said, "Of course you're not dead! You're Ulquiorra! No one can kill you, even Kurosaki-kun in his hollow form!" Ulquiorra, who had sonidoed to the door, froze. "Hollow form?" he asked carefully. Orihime, eager to help Ulquiorra, replied, "Yeah! Whenever Kurosaki-kun loses control, he turns into a super powerful hollow that can block even one of your Lanza del Relampago-"

Orihime was forcibly shut up when Ulqiuorra's pale hand was suddenly covering her mouth. His eyes were full of promises of a painful death as he asked, "How do you know about my lances? How much do you know?" Orihime was silent. "Well?" She could hear the barely concealed fury so she mumbled something into the hand covering her mouth. Cautiously, he pulled his hand away and listened to Orihime's dream.

4*4*4*4*

"I don't believe it," he murmured after Orihime gave him nearly all the details. "Somehow, your dreams rejected the laws of time, and you dreamed the future." Suddenly, his eyes turned curious. "What was your reaction to my Segunda Etapa?" he inquired tonelessly. Orihime's silver eyes took on a dreamy intensity as she whispered, "At first I was terrified. You were so powerful. You could have killed me just by focusing your spiritual pressure. But when I saw your eyes, even though they'd changed, too, they had the same look in them. And, I realized, you wouldn't, couldn't hurt me. Not physically, at least. You were still Ulquiorra, my guardian, my keeper, the one who kept me alive when I wouldn't. The one who showed me I was strong. Who let me slap him and didn't- wait."

Focused again, she asked, "I have slapped you, right?" He blinked, and then nodded curtly. "Yes. Only a short while ago." The light in Orihime's eyes dimmed fractionally. "So that means... you were on your way to kill Kurosaki-kun. Weren't you?" Ulquiorra didn't answer. He didn't have to. Then, he said, "If what you are saying is correct, those two arrancar, Loly and Menoly, will come in and beat you to near death."

His jade eyes closed and he commented, "I failed. By disobeying Lord Aizen and chasing after the stupid strawberry, I failed him, and I failed you." Ulquiorra's eyes opened and he gazed at her with a painful intensity. "I shall not fail again. I will be back, the second those two pathetic pieces of trash walk in." He got up and started to walk out, and then paused. "Woman. To reduce the possibility of failing, I will do something sooner than I planned to. I will betray Aizen. That way, the only one I have the possibility of hurting is you." The door shut in Orihime's shocked face. Then, a smile broke her sobriety and she giggled. "I kissed Ulquiorra," she stated, trying the words out on her tongue. Unknown to her, Ulquiorra paused outside the door, heard her comment, and for the briefest second, he wasn't frowning.  
_

Orihime heard a malicious giggle and shuddered. One peridot eye and one pink eye peered in as Loly sing-song-ed, "O~ri~hi~meeee? Let's play a little game..." Orihime couldn't help it. She let out a tiny whimper of fear, despite knowing that Ulquiorra would be here in a second. Then, she realized she was acting the same way she did around Ichigo and brought herself up. "Oh? What kind of game?" she asked boldly. Loly walked in fully, enraged at the supposed weakling's impudence. She snatched her hair and started to yank, growling, "Why, you little _bitch!"_ Just then, there was a gurgling noise. Loly paused and turned while Orihime stared in horror.

Loly blanched. Menoly was in the air, impaled by Ulquiorra's right hand. "U-Ulquiorra!" Loly gasped. "You're- you're not- you're supposed to-" "Be killing the intruder?" Ulquiorra supplied helpfully. "So I was told." He ripped his hand out of Menoly's back coldly, causing her body to fall limply to the floor. Ulquiorra's eyes flew to where Loly was touching Orihime. Loly gasped and drew her hand back, but not fast enough. Howling, she clutched her handless wrist to her chest, glaring spitefully at Ulquiorra. "Trash is not permitted in here," he stated emotionlessly, and with the ease of an executioner, he pointed his bloody hand and blew a green cero at Loly. Ignoring the smoking corpse, he turned to Orihime.

"You were right," he said. Orihime only nodded, unable to pull her eyes away from the carnage, especially Menoly's hole. The thought dawned on her that that was exactly what happened to Ichigo. Ulquiorra opened his mouth to say something more when Szayel breezed in and promptly squealed with delight. "You guys got me new experiments? Aww, you shouldn't have." "We didn't," Ulquiorra bit off, his expression unchanging. "Yeah, I'm going to heal them!" Orihime added.

Szayel turned his interested glance to her. He briefly pouted, then brightened. "I know! How about you heal one, I study that and the other, and then when I'm done, you can heal that one too!" Orihime also became brighter with the compromise. "All right! But only if you promise." Szayel nodded solemnly and they shook pinkies. Szayel grinned sadistically and asked, "Any problems, Cuarta?" Ulquiorra responded, "No. I am interested in this as well. Which one will you heal?" Orihime bit her lip and looked between the two dead girls, and then decided, "Menoly. She seemed less willing." Carefully, Orihime placed her hands above Menoly and whispered, "Soten Kisshun; I reject."

Her fairies flew out of her hairpins and made the golden barrier. Szayel leaned in interestedly. The gaping hole in Menoly's chest slowly closed up until there wasn't even a scar. Menoly's dull green eyes slowly recovered their gleam. Szayel leaped back and grabbed Loly's cadaver. "Well, that's my cue to leave. Doubt you want your new friend traumatized," Szayel muttered under his breath. Neither Orihime nor Ulquiorra payed any attention to him. Menoly sat up bolt-right and said wonderingly, "I'm alive." She looked hard at Orihime, who deflated, saying, "I know. I'm a monster."

Menoly stared at her, and then softened. Realizing Loly was dead, she decided it might be time to make a new friend. "Well, here, aren't we all monsters too?" Menoly asked kindly, flicking her blonde hair. Orihime beamed and started chatting eagerly with her new buddy. Neither noticed Ulquiorra look down at Orihime and soften, just a tiny bit. The softness vanished. "Woman, it is time for the Numero to leave." Both Menoly and Orihime pouted. "Please, Ulquiorra? Menoly's actually really nice." Ulquiorra heard what was unspoken._ Despite the fact she's assaulted me three times, if you count the future we could have had._

Ulquiorra closed his verdant eyes. "She can come back later." Orihime sighed, and then waved as Menoly walked out the heavy door. Ulquiorra immediately turned to Orihime. "What happens now?" Orihime shrugged. "I'm really not sure. I mean, you were supposed to kill Kurosaki-kun, and Grimmjow was supposed to come and save me. You saved me, and Kurosaki-kun is alive, so I have no idea what happens now. It's strange though, how I was able to see things I wasn't there for. Like I saw the battle in the Karakura town..." Her smile faded as she remembered the horrors. Ulquiorra opened his mouth to soothe her in his own special way, but a voice interrupted him.

"Well, now, ain't that a shocker?" Ulquiorra shut his eyes and acknowledged, "Grimmjow. I thought even trash like you knew better than to eavesdrop on your superior's conversations." Grimmjow's only response was, "Shut up, El-Queer-o. No one cares. I, however, care about what La Princesa is saying. You know what I think?" He leaned lazily against the door frame, ignoring Ulquiorra's muttered, "No, thank Aizen." "I think, seeing as I'm included in these visions, I should know." Orihime nodded, smiling. She knew he was really just a big, soft, cuddly, insecure kitty, and one of her biggest regrets was leaving him after Nnoitora hurt him. She glanced at the stiff Ulquiorra and assured him hastily, "Don't worry. I won't tell your secret." This, of course, perked Grimmjow up immediately.

"Oh? A secret, huh? Ya know, Princesa, secrets ain't nice. You should tell me. After all those poor Numero are awful defenseless, especially that one-eyed blonde one." Ulquiorra came close to glaring, and Orihime realized she had made a huge mistake. Inspiration struck, and she quickly babbled, "No, no, don't hurt Menoly!" She bit her lip and looked at the two men, thinking of dead puppies and abandoned kitties. Instantly, tears filled her eyes and she wondered why she had thought of something so sad when there were so many lesser things that could make her cry. Finally, she burst out, "I'm sorry, Ulquiorra!" His eyes narrowed and she quickly blurted, "The secret is I kissed him, and he kissed me back!" Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at that last part, but said nothing. He went stock still, playing along.

Grimmjow froze. Orihime froze. Ulquiorra was still frozen. Suddenly, Grimmjow collapsed, howling with laughter. "That's what your secret is? That you KISSED her?" "No, she kissed-" "HA! No wonder you didn't tell Nnoitora he was wrong! Oh, gawwwd, this is priceless! YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH LA PRINCESA! I'M TELLING AIZEN!" Orihime was bright red as she tried to explain, "No, Grimmjow, I don't think you understand, it's..." Grimmjow looked up at her expectantly, still snickering. "It's... it's complicated," she finally muttered. Grimmjow sighed and said calmly, "All right, Princesa. Tell me what you know."

LATER-

"So, you're telling me that Nnoitora, fucking bastard, kills me?" Grimmjow asked from where he was sprawled across the couch. Orihime nodded from her position on the arm of the couch by Grimmjow's feet, and then amended, "Well, that's what it looked like. There was a lot of blood..." Ulquiorra, who was leaning against the door, said, "You forget he's part cat. Supposedly they have nine lives, so he probably has four and a half. I'd say he has one and a half left." Orihime smiled at Ulquiorra's unique brand of comforting. Grimmjow was too preoccupied with cussing Nnoitora out to care what was being said by Emospada and La Princesa. After he finished, he cleared his throat and said, "And you're saying Ulquiorra killed Kurosaki twice with ease, but Kurosaki came back as a Vasto Lorde and blew the distracted, not-even-released Emospada's ass to oblivion?" "Dumbed down, yes," Ulquiorra interjected.

Grimmjow shot him a half-hearted glare, and then got up, stretching and saying, "Well, I got places to go, Spoony-spadas to kill, you know." Orihime leaped to her feet. "What! You can't! He'll kill you!" Grimmjow patted her head fondly. "I love the concern, Princesa. I like you, I really do. But if that dick thinks he can interfere with my fight and try and kill me, let's see him think with his head rolling down the damn white hills of Hueco Mundo!" "The woman's right," Ulquiorra stated boredly. "He's Quinta, you're Sexta. Whether your pride allows you to accept it or not, he is stronger than you. You'd be lucky to defeat Nnoitora."

Grimmjow's face blanked out for a second, and then his mouth twisted into a snarl. "Watch me." He started to stalk out the door when a small warm hand halted him. Grimmjow turned to see the pleading face of Orihime, her orange hair falling into big silver eyes. "Please, don't Grimmjow. I don't want to see you bloody and broken again," she begged. Grimmjow was torn. Most of him wanted to go, but a tiny place in his chest, quite a bit above his hollow hole, didn't want to hurt La Princesa. "Oh, all right," he grumbled, plopping himself on the couch. "But if Ulquiorra didn't kill that ass Kurosaki, where is he?" Orihime shrugged. Ulquiorra answered, "I would assume he was on his way here right now."

Grimmjow felt around a bit and sensed Ichigo's reiatsu coming at an alarming pace, and a wicked grin stole across his face. If he couldn't destroy the stupid pumpkin-haired dumb ass physically, he'd do it another way. Grimmjow was actually really smart. He just chose not to show it, as he preferred senseless violence. Most of the time, he had a plan. A really well-thought out plan, that was bound to work. But then he got bored, and would resort to crude battling. Using that keen intellect now, he looked at his two companions. Princesa was obviously smitten with Emospada, and Emospada, in his own, special way, probably returned at least a little of the affection.

Grimmjow noticed Ulquiorra was now sitting on the floor, directly next to Orihime, who was still on the couch arm. Every movement thoughtful, Grimmjow lifted his foot and planted it hard in the side of Orihime, who yelped and fell into Ulquiorra's lap. "What was that for?" she whimpered, holding her bruised ribs. Grimmjow shrugged. "I dunno. But don't move. You guys are cute, and it tickles my heart, which is pretty amazing. It doesn't happen much in these dark days." Orihime flushed, but made herself comfortable. Grimmjow smirked when he saw Ulquiorra's arm automatically wrap around her waist.

"So," Grimmjow boomed, kicking the door open with his foot, knowing Kurosaki would hear their voices. Thank Aizen for such echo-y halls. "What do you think of Las Noches, Princesa?" "Well, I used to hate it, but when I left, all I wanted was to come back," Orihime gushed. Grimmjow felt Kurosaki pause, and then speed up. From the way Ulquiorra's eyes flashed, he felt it, too. "I guess I really do like it here, especially now that you and Ulquiorra are my friends, Grimmjow." "Really?" Grimmjow purred. "Well, I like you, too, Princesa. And though he won't admit it, so does Batman over there." Grimmjow was all too happily aware of a paralyzed Kurosaki standing in the doorway as he continued, "So, who's a better friend? Kurosaki or Ulquiorra?" Orihime bit her lip, unaware of the dangerously pale Kurosaki in the doorway. Apparently, the sight of Orihime in Ulquiorra's lap along with the conversation was enough to send him into shock. Grimmjow snorted internally. The idiot still thought he was hidden.

Finally, Orihime answered, "That's a tough one. I mean, Kurosaki-kun came all this way to save me, but Ulquiorra taught me I don't need to be saved by anyone but myself. Kurosaki-kun is nicer to me sometimes, but Ulquiorra can care for me and still teach me to stand on my own two feet. I know whenever I was around Kurosaki-kun, I was weak. Even I was aware of how pathetic it was. But, you, Ulquiorra," she placed a hand on his tear-streaked cheek, "You make me strong. I see you, and I want to be like you. You gave me confidence, so I guess, you're the better friend."

Grimmjow feigned surprise and leapt to his feet. "Kurosaki! When did you get here?" He could hardly contain his feral grin. Orihime jumped out of Ulquiorra's arms and off of his lap. "Kurosaki-kun! Wha-what are you doing here!" "I told you he'd be here soon," Ulquiorra sighed. Orihime looked desperately at Kurosaki, hating herself for the lack of excitement at seeing him. "W-we came here to save you," he said dazedly. Grimmjow smiled and put an arm around Orihime's waist. "Too bad. Princesa here came to the dark side, bitch!" "Grimmjow!" Orihime elbowed him, hard. He laughed, not at all affected.

"Kurosaki-kun, it's not the Espada's fault! It's Aizen who's the bad guy, never them!" she pled, clearly agonized as tears pricked at her eyes. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow both felt a slight twinge of guilt, Grimmjow for using her, Ulquiorra for not alerting her to the orange-haired shinigami sooner. "Inoue, they _killed_ people!" Ichigo screamed at her. "They're not good people, hell, they're not even people! They're heartless monsters!" Orihime felt anger rise in her, especially when he added, "Come on, Inoue. You know they're using you. Why else would they put up with you?" His eyes widened as he realized with horror how that sounded. "W-wait, Inoue, I-I didn't mean it-" he stuttered as she recoiled into the crying one's arms, and Grimmjow swelled with rage. "OI!" Grimmjow bellowed, blue eyes electric. "I've seen her be nothing but strong and fun! The only reason YOU ever saw her as weak was because you had that fucking hero complex! You know, maybe if you'd-"

He cut himself off, running his hands through his sky hair, before spinning on the remorseful shinigami and simply growling with wordless fury. Ulquiorra was also angry as hell, Grimmjow could tell, but was concealing it a lot better. "Did you know that the only reason she even considered coming with me was to save your pathetic life?" Ulquiorra asked, his voice cold and cutting. "I have no doubt in my mind that otherwise she would be with you right now. Although you fail to grasp that it was so much _better_ for her to come with me to Las Noches, with us, those who actually appreciate both her powers and her phenomenal strength."

Ichigo scoffed, "Yeah, right." Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "You do not believe me? Why is it you came here, when you had doubts on her innocence?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "How'd you know that?" "I told you," Ulquiorra repeated, with the same frozen tone. "She's better off here. Here, under our guidance and care, both she and her powers of blossomed magnificently. She can reject time itself and view the future, _while sleeping_. Do you understand? She does not even have to be conscious to use her powers anymore. But would you like to know the future, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo looked at him distrustfully. Grimmjow was prowling/pacing behind Orihime while Ulquiorra gently placed his long, white fingers over her temples. "She saw it all here, in her pretty head. I'll skip over the meaningless parts to the ending,as I believe that will surprise you the most," Ulquiorra said, tracing light patterns on the side of Orihime's face. "I defeat you. But you, or your _hollow_, can't accept that. You _must_ win. So, after your second death at my hands, you _hollowify._" Grimmjow snickered and interrupted, "Ichi_thing_." Ulquiorra continued. "You are entirely taken over by your hollow, which is of Vasto Lorde power. You slice my chest open with your Zangetsu, or whatever. You pin me down and start powering up a cero between your new horns, ready to destroy me while I lie, defeated and defenseless. Your Quincy friend tries to save what remains of your humanity, so you thrust your Zanpakuto to the hilt in his abdomen, ignoring the screams and pleas of the girl you died to protect."

Ichigo cradled his head, his eyes even more horror-struck than when he had accidentally insulted Orihime. "No... I mastered my hollow! He can't control me anymore." Ulquiorra went on, Orihime crying silently, Grimmjow laughing his ass off. Ulquiorra gently wiped Orihime's tears as he said, "Your cero hits me, of course, blowing off my lower half, my left arm, and who knows how many internal organs. I noticed the woman's distress, so I did what I thought would erase her tears. I saved you from your hollow." Ichigo stumbled backwards, unable to comprehend that when he and Ulquiorra were in the same form, Ulquiorra was the more humane one.

Orihime couldn't help chuckling sadly inside, knowing that Grimmjow and Ichigo only knew half of it. They didn't know about Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa. Ulquiorra started one last time. "I died, of course. However, Orihime Inoue, the one you so ignorantly think of as weak, when she saw me dying, she turned away from you, her golden knight, to reach for me, the dreaded demon. Tell me, is that a weakness? To comfort a dying man, whether he be friend or foe?" "Inoue, is this true?" Ichigo choked out, hoping that she'd somehow save him. His fate was sealed when she said, "Every word." He could see how much it pained her to hurt him, but Ichigo was already off in his inner world. Her Espada friends would have to comfort her.

As Orihime looked at the fallen man at her feet, something in her grew. The desire to protect the others from the horrors she had seen. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt anymore. If she did the right thing, maybe she could make everybody happy. As Ichigo fell to his knees, Orihime asked Grimmjow, "Could you go find Chad, Rukia, Uryu, and Renji and bring them here?" He pat her shoulder. "Normally, no. But seeing Kurosaki fall into a pit of self-hatred has put me in a very good mood. Be back soon, Princesa." With that, he sonidoed off. Next, Orihime looked at Ulquiorra. "Ulquiorra, could you gather the Espada here?" His emerald eyes searched her ash eyes. "What are you planning?" he inquired. "A happy ending."

4*4*4*4*

"Where are we going?" Rukia demanded, fully healed, along with the rest of her friends. "I told you," Grimmjow grunted as he quickened his sonido. Uryu was matching him stride for stride, Renji was behind him, Rukia to his right, and Chad brought up the rear. "Princesa wanted you. She's done me several favors, so I'm just repaying my debt. Not to mention she's like my adopted sister now." Grimmjow ignored the disbelieving looks thrown his way and said, "By the way, Kurosaki is comatose with shock. Just thought you guys should know ahead of time." As he ran, he scooped up Child-Nel, remembering her from Orihime's dream. Renji growled, "I'd kill you if I wasn't so damn curious."

4*4*4*4*

"Ulquiorra? What are you doing here? I was just experimenting on Lo- Stark? Lilynette? Hallibel, Nnoitora, Barragan, and Yammy, too? What's going on, Ulquiorra? Why are all the surviving Espada, exempting Grimmjow, doing at my lab?" "I suggest you come if you'd like to find out. By the way, Szayel, and all of you, too, this is a peaceful gathering. I highly recommend you keep it that way." No one argued with the green-eyed Espada, simply following him down to the prisoner's room.

4*4*4*4*

Orihime paced anxiously, throwing worried glances at Ichigo. She knew he was probably talking to his hollow, but was he supposed to be so still? "Woman." "Ulquiorra!" She spun on her heel to see him standing at the door, a crowd of silent Espada behind him. "How did you get here before-" "It's Grimmjow," he interrupted. "Are you surprised I am faster?" She looked down. "I guess not. I mean-" A rush of voices from the suddenly vocal Espada interrupted her. "Is that one of the intruders passed out on the floor?" "Isn't he her friend?" "What is he doing here?" "What are _we_ doing here?" "Does Aizen know?" "Hell, no! Otherwise we wouldn't be having so much fun!" "How messed up are you?" "Wait, isn't that intruder supposed to be the strongest?" "Oh, yeah, I'm scared..."

Grimmjow walked in, followed by Orihime's friends, to the Espadas' excitement. "Inoue?" Rukia called over the noise of the now-crowded room. "What's going on? You're safe! What are all the Espada doing here?" Renji walked over and kicked Ichigo's body. No response. He snickered. Nnoitora walked over and kicked him, too, followed by the same snicker. Uryu smacked Renji's head. Hallibel smacked Nnoitora's head. The two sulked together, united by pain. Then, Uryu kicked Ichigo, sniggering. Instantly, the three started arguing as Hallibel simply walked off. Lilynette was jumping on Starrk, who was sleeping on the couch. Chad watched, bemused by the father-daughter relationship.

Grimmjow strode over to Nnoitora and tapped him on the shoulder. When Nnoitora turned, Grimmjow punched his nose, yowling, "You stupid, fucking SPOON!" Orihime looked at Ulquiorra pleadingly. Ulquiorra caught Nnoitora's retaliating fist with one hand and kicked Grimmjow with the opposite foot. "Deal with it later," he told the two shortly. Renji and Uryu finally realized they were in a room full of Espada and banded together, staring around suspiciously. Nel was sobbing on Ichigo's body. Just then, Kenpachi and Byakuya appeared at the door. "The hell!" Kenpachi thundered. "This is where everyone went?" Byakuya made his way to Rukia's side and asked her something. Rukia's reply was to shrug and point to Orihime, who chose that moment to roar, "SHUT UP!"

Everyone shut up and looked at her where she was standing on a table. She blushed and scratched her head, and then regained her confidence. "All right," she began. "I'm sure all of you are really confused as to why you are here, and have lots of questions. Please, just sit and listen. I'll do my best to explain."

"As you all know, I have some really weird powers. But they are strong. I saw the future, and it sucked. Majorly, for everybody. Kenny, Yachiru dies. Byakuya, Rukia dies. Renji, you become paralyzed. Chad, you get knocked out early and wake up in a collapsed building after the battle is done. Uryu, you lose your left hand. Almost seventy-five percent of the Thirteen Squads are killed." Her nakama stared at her in shock and horror. She continued, crying a little bit.

"Starrk, you and Lilynette die. Barragan, you die. Hallibel, Aizen kills you himself. Ulquiorra already knows he dies. Nnoitora dies. Grimmjow knows he dies, Nnoitora strikes the killing blow." "Sorry, buddy," Nnoitora whispered. "Zommari and Aaroniero are already dead. Szayel, you die. Not even your rebirth helps. Yammy, you die. Kurosaki-kun, it's good to see you awake. You already know you turn full hollow and then Aizen imprisons you. Uryu, he stabs you in the stomach with Zangetsu." Rukia looked down at Ichigo, who was sitting, sadly. Everyone in the room stared around in varying levels of shock, except the Sexta and the Cuarta.

"Gin and Aizen escape. Tousen dies. A few vizards die." Orihime swallowed hard, tears coming out when Lilynette asked Starrk softly, "Can we really die?" Starrk looked at her sadly, silent. Nnoitora's face was blank. "I'm killed?" Nel was being held by Ichigo, her eyes watery. "I don't want you all to die," Orihime said quietly. "Why did you call us here?" Hallibel asked. Orihime looked up, and her eyes shone with determination. "Because I don't like the way our stories end. So, I'm going to change it. We're going to kill Aizen, and stop the war. We're going to do whatever necessary to survive. We are going to live."

4*4*4*4*

Byakuya, Rukia, Renji, Chad, and Uryu stared in amazement at the glowing woman on the table before them. This wasn't the little girl they'd come to rescue. It was a shining goddess who would do whatever it took to save them from horrors they couldn't imagine, who would lead them out of the darkness and into the light. Byakuya became aware of a blue-haired Espada staring at him. "Do you require something?" Byakuya asked formally. The man shrugged. "It's just hard for me to believe this is really the first time you guys are really seeing Princesa. She told us you people always underestimated her, but we thought she was just being oversensitive. It was obvious to us how strong she was."

Rukia glared at him. "Shut up, Grimmjow. We've loved her a lot longer than you have!" "Maybe, but have you guys are respected, or believed in her? Not just her powers, but her?" he shot back. Rukia scowled at him, fuming. "I thought so," he sneered. "You're all thick as mud." Byakuya stared ahead at Orihime, who was smiling at an Espada with cyan tears. "Perhaps you are right, Grimmjow," he allowed. Rukia froze. Her brother was admitting to being thick? Grimmjow and Rukia both watched Byakuya's noble profile as he closed his eyes and said, "Perhaps we have underestimated not only Miss Inoue, but many, for far too long."

"That was very well-spoken," a smooth voice said from behind Orihime. Orihime beamed at his praise. "Really? I was speaking from my heart, so I wasn't sure how much sense I was making." "It was wonderful," he repeated. "The Espada have all switched their loyalty to you entirely. It amazes me, but I think all of them would die for you, myself included, I'm surprised to admit." Orhime giggled. "I would much rather you lived for me." With that, she spontaneously hugged him. He didn't hug her back, but he didn't push her away, either, as he would have less than three days ago. Right as he was about to take his hands out of his pockets and hug her back, a voice asked, "Inoue?"

Orihime pulled away and turned to see all of her friends and the two captains kneeling before her, the Espada watching silently in the background. "We're sorry we never believed in you!" Uryu exclaimed, his voice muffled. Orihime smiled. "Get up, guys. I forgive you all. I didn't believe in myself! You'd have to be insane to believe in me." As they stood, Grimmjow strolled over and demanded, "Hello? What about me and Emospada? We believed in you since the beginning!" Orihime laughed. "Example A. Thank you for reminding me, Grimmjow." Everyone was watching, and, as such, everyone but Orihime saw Ulquiorra smile when she laughed.

Grimmjow, playfully annoyed, smacked the back of her head. Instantly, all of her non-Espada friends moved forward to attack the Sexta Espada for daring to lay a hand on her. All froze when she fought back. Laughing, she pushed him with all her strength. He laughed in her face, not even bracing himself. When Orihime realized she would have no effect on him that way, she glanced at Ulquiorra. Next second, Grimmjow landed hard on his ass, Ulquiorra's expression not even flickering, one hand still outstretched. Orihime, Kenpachi, and the Espada laughed. Hard.

Enraged, Grimmjow got on his feet and yelled, "That ain't fair, Princesa!" She stuck her tongue out, and then squealed when he tried to pinch it. She twirled away and ran hard, the crowd parting for her and slowing Grimmjow down, trying to take away the advantage of sonido. When she felt Grimmjow get too close, she laughed, "Ulquiorra! Save me!" Next second, she was on Uqluiorra's back. "Ha!" she crowed triumphantly. "Still wanna play tag, Grimmjow?" Suddenly, Kenpachi joined. "Hey, that sounds great! Everyone against Ulquiorra and Orihime!" Immediately, everyone converged on them. Ulquiorra sonidoed out to the middle of Hueco Mundo, far from the prying eyes at Las Noches. Orihime, still attached to Ulquiorra's back, saw a flash of color and whispered, "They're here."

And everything became a blur. Brief images came and went as Orihime's brain tried to process the amounts of sonido and shunpo being used. She and Ulquiorra darting away as Byakuya reached for her foot, his lips curling ever so slightly. Ulquiorra jumping a dozen feet in the air to avoid a grasping Rukia and Nnoitora. Doing a graceful sort of twirl to avoid a _super-fast _Hallibel. Laughter floating from everyone's mouths as Ulquiorra twisted and turned and ducked and jumped and spun; all with a giddy Orihime on his back. Ichigo almost got Orihime, but Ulquiorra sent him flying with a harmless kick. "Whoa! That was close!" Orihime managed to gasp before the words were torn from her mouth as Ulquiorra jumped to avoid a barrage of blunt Quincy arrows and did some serious acrobatics to dodge landing in a waiting Starrk's arms.

Orihime grinned massively as she was pulled along. Everyone was working as a team to try and get Ulquiorra and her. Finally, after a dizzying fifteen minutes, Orihime felt a strange twist at her center of gravity, and the next second, she and Ulquiorra were sprawled on the white sand. Everyone stared at Ulquiorra. Finally, Orihime said, "Did you just trip?" Ulquiorra pondered her question for a second, and then said, "It appears I _did_ trip." "Okay," Orihime said, choking back laughter. Others weren't so kind. Szayel and Uryu were chuckling at a distance. Kenpachi and Grimmjow were clinging to each other in attempt to remain standing through their mirth. Lilynette and Ichigo were both rolling on the ground, howling. Stark laid down, grateful for the rest. Hallibel and Byakuya stood side by side, both showing signs of amusement. Renji whispered something in Rukia's ear that caused her to crack up, along with Yammy, who heard the comment. Yammy lightly hit the semi-amused Barragan on the back and told him the joke. Nnoitora and Chad were laughing and conversing in Spanish. Over all, everyone liked everyone.

Orihime crawled over to where Ulquiorra was sitting. Gently, she combed white sand out of the coal-black locks. "You have sand in your hair," she explained. He nodded and relaxed after a while, sighing slightly. After a while, his piercing eyes fluttered closed. Orihime smiled tenderly and hands in his hair even though the sand was all gone. He just looked so _peaceful_, she didn't want to ruin it.

Grimmjow chuckled softly. "Looks like you were right, Tia. You win the bet. They did fall for each other." Hallibel nodded, smiling secretly. "What?" Ichigo said loudly. "They're not-" "Hush," Rukia whispered. "You'll ruin the moment."

Orihime's hands finally stilled, tangled in Ulquiorra's hair. His viridian eyes slowly slid open. "What are you doing?" he questioned quietly. "Admiring you," she replied, his bluntness rubbing off on her. "You remind me of a poem I read once," he admitted. "'Because of the heart, I lust for everything about you'. I can feel my heart, Orihime." Her eyes widened and her heart quickened at the use of her name. He reached up and moved her right hand from his hair to a place just to the left of his hollow hole. "Right here. It's warm. And nice. It feels like you. I think that you're my heart. Is that... good?" Orihime smiled. There was wonder in his voice, and his eyes were clear instead of cold.

"That's good. I'll be your heart. You can be my logic." He frowned and disagreed. "I don't want to be your logic. I want to be your heart, too." She shook her head. "You don't need to be my heart. You own it, instead." "Where is it?" he asked, innocently bewildered. "I don't see it." Orihime smiled, putting all of her emotion into that simple gesture. "You can't see it. But if you ever need a reminder, look at me smiling at you, or take my hand." She carefully intertwined their fingers, thrilled that she could finally reach him. "That smile is just for you. No one else's hand fits in mine as well as yours. Every time you see my smile or take my hand, look for the heart behind it, and remember it's yours, and only you have it. I could never trust anyone else to remember how precious owning a heart really is." Ulquiorra looked at her, eyes wide with awe, and then he enfolded her in his arms, whispering, "Thank you, my heart."

No one could hold it in anymore. There was a collective, "Awwwwwww..." Ulquiorra blinked and asked, "What are you all still doing here?" A blushing Orihime hid her red face in his chest. Rukia smiled. "We're getting more sugar than is probably good for us." "Yeah," Grimmjow added, getting rid of all traces of the tender smile he'd had a couple seconds ago. "I can feel my hollow mask growing cavities from sweetness exposure." Kenpachi, who was cleaning out his ear with his pinky, suddenly said, "Hey, weren't we plotting to kill Aizen a while ago?" "Really? Who'd'a thunk it?" a new voice commented. Everyone turned to see a smiling Gin.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Nnoitora asked eloquently. Gin shrugged. "I sensed a happy endin', or beginnin', from miles away and had to come watch. I hate depressing stuff. And that was totally cute, by the way. I almost cried as hard as I do at weddings!" Everyone but Hallibel, Byakuya, Ulquiorra, and Orihime gaped at him.

"So ya said ya were plannin' to kill Aizen, huh?" Gin continued cheerfully. "Well, he sure didn' see his Espada rebellin' _tha' _quickly, 'specially you, Ulqui. Why?" Orihime answered before anyone else could. "He has Rangiku tortured to death because she was a distraction to you. Her last movement was to blow you a kiss. I hope you caught it," Orihime sniffled. Gin dropped to his knees to be eye-level with her and asked solemnly, "Are ya sure?" Orihime nodded sadly. Gin stood and walked away. "Remember, Espada," he called over his shoulder. "Destroy his Zanpakuto to get rid of the illusions. Don't let Hime touch the Hougyokou. Be prepared to win. Without tha' conviction, he'll crush you." "Where are you going?" Rukia called suspiciously. "To go beg forgiveness from the only person I care ta have it from. Hopefully, I'll come out with mosta' ma parts intact," he laughed, opening a Garganta.

Kenpachi, Grimmjow, Ichigo, Nnoitora, and Renji immediately turned and walked off in synchronization. Byakuya halted them and asked evenly, "Where do you think you are going?" "To go kill Aizen, duh," Grimmjow stated, looking at Byakuya as if he was the biggest idiot alive. Byakuya returned the look as Ulquiorra, Hallibel, Barragan, and Uryu joined him. "No," Barragan commanded firmly. "I've waited too long to kill Aizen just to let a bunch of hotheads like you five screw it up."

Orihime stood next to Rukia and Chad off to the side, along with everyone else. Chad looked at Orihime and said sincerely, "It's really good to see you again, Inoue." Orihime smiled at him, then looked back towards where Ichigo was now arguing with a closed-eyed Byakuya. Uryu interrupted with, "It'd be stupid to just launch in and attack him. He would have all of you, our power people, dead in seconds. In fact, he probably would have used that damn Shikai and have you kill each other." "And you have a plan?" Renji retorted. "No," Uryu said, jerking his thumb behind him. "But Ulquiorra does."

Orihime heard the admiration in the Quincy's voice and resolved not to tell him Ulquiorra cut off his hand.

Ulquiorra nodded in response to Uryu's claim. "A lot of this depends on Aizen's hopefully huge ego. If Aizen doubts his own intelligence and wonders if us Espada are really as legit as we seem, as he created us to be, we are doomed." Grimmjow snorted. "It's Aizen. Nothing's gonna deflate that bastard's head, not until we wipe the smile off that know-it-all face."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own, hear that silly folks? Someone (phantom105) advised me to separate it and re-proofread it. So, separated and proofread!  
**

Part Two-

Orihime paced nervously, back in her cell. Ulquiorra's plan was in action, but so much could go wrong, and all of them would die. Szayel had wiped out all traces of their gathering, but it was still eerie the way everyone expected Aizen to know anyway. They could only hope Szayel had deleted the recordings in time. Right now, she knew there were staged fights going in between all of her friends and her Espada family. Kenpachi and Byakuya were fighting a released Yammy in the dome. Uryu and Renji were in Szayel's domain, being 'experimented' on. Chad and Nnoitora were duking it out alongside Grimmjow and Ichigo. Rukia was being pulverized by Tia, and Barragan and Starrk and Lilynette were resting. However, Ulquiorra was on his way to Aizen's throne right now. If he failed, they were doomed.

4*4*4*4*

"Lord Aizen, forgive my impudence, but I have an idea." Aizen smirked down at the bowing Ulquiorra, intrigued. Ulquiorra was his favorite Espada. He knew that Ulquiorra's loyalty was absolute, unlike some of his other Espada. "I noticed you interacting with some of the other Espada earlier," Aizen said, completely ignoring Ulquiorra's earlier statement. Ulquiorra didn't make a single move. The same blank face looked up at him as the Cuarta replied, "The pathetic trash refused to stop pestering me. Perhaps by refusing to acknowledge their inferior presence but with insults, they'll leave me be." Aizen smiled. "You truly are a delight, my dear Cuarta. Tell me about this idea of yours."

"The woman can reject anything correct?" Ulquiorra stated more than asked. Aizen nodded. "Perhaps it is simply a mistake on my part, but I am under the illusion that Kyoka Suigetsu has been weakening," Ulquiorra noted, looking at Aizen's zanpakuto. Aizen chuckled. "Nothing escapes your eye, Ulquiorra." Ulquiorra didn't answer. He could sense Aizen's displeasure. Ulquiorra went on. "I believe I could take your zanpakuto to the woman and have her restore it to full power." Aizen laughed fully. It had taken Ulquiorra long enough to suggest it. Aizen had been toying with that idea for a while now, and Ulquiorra just confirmed it, although he did wish his subordinate hadn't noticed. "Only you would I trust to leave with my beloved Kyoka Suigetsu. Be careful, my Cuarta Espada. Should anything happen to it, Murcielago might find a similar fate."

4*4*4*4*

"Woman." Orihime stiffened, not turning to look. Now was the moment of truth. If Ulquiorra said anything he wasn't supposed to, it meant the true Ulquiorra was dead and Aizen was onto them. She felt him stand directly behind her. "Aizen has a task for you, my heart," he whispered. Orihime collapsed against his chest, trembling as the adrenaline in her veins slowly ebbed. Hyperventilating crazily, tears leaking out of her closed eyes, she demanded, "Do you know how terrified I was? Knowing at any time, you could die, and this time, I wouldn't wake up?" "Woman, calm yourself. It went perfectly, and I'm not leaving you anymore," he promised.

Orihime found she didn't, couldn't, believe he was real. Not yet. Reaching up, she dragged Ulquiorra's dual colored lips to hers, leaning farther against his back. He stiffened, but instead of letting him go, she opened her mouth, coaxing him to do the same. His hands moved from her arms to her hips, holding her firmly against him, and he returned the kiss. Rocking slightly as they battled for dominance, Orihime turned, pressing her breasts against his chest, smiling when his breath quickened. His response was to slam her against the wall, one of his legs between hers. His tongue inside of her mouth was melting her brain, and she sagged against him, head spinning. He slowly moved his hands up her sides to take her wrists and pin them above her head.

Orihime moaned slightly as he kissed lower, nipping at her neck. "Ulquiorra," she breathed. Suddenly he pulled away sharply. She looked at him quizzically, red-faced and propped against the wall. "I forgot Szayel is watching on the security cameras," he said bluntly. She went white. "You're kidding." He shook his head slowly. Orihime shrugged, standing shakily. "Oh, well. We all know he's gay, right? So he probably doesn't care. Where's the damn Kyoka Suigetsu?" She gasped as she realized she had sworn, and stuttered, "I-I mean..." Ulquiorra shook his head and reached for a bundle on the couch. "It doesn't matter," he told her. "I agree. Now, close your eyes."

Orihime complied, blushing slightly as it reminded her of what had just occurred. "Hold out your hands and don't open your eyes. We can't take ANY chances." She took the sword, ignoring the goosebumps that rose on her arms as she felt its malevolence and whispered, "Ayame, Shun'o, Lily, Hinabaku, Baigon, Tsubaki. I reject all." Ulquiorra watched as the sword grew brighter and brighter underneath the golden shield. He watched hit its power limit, and keep going. The power of Orihime's shield increased, the power of the sword decreased, and Ulquiorra watched with slightly widened eyes as the sword simply ceased to exist. Orihime swayed slightly from fatigue and Ulquiorra scooped her up, whispering, "You can open your eyes now." She looked at him, silver eyes shining, and said, "I did it. I destroyed Kyoka Suigetsu. I erased it from existence."

Szayel smirked as he watched Orihime attack Ulquiorra with her lips over and over again, happy laughter burbling out from her smiling mouth. Carefully, he deleted the evidence of what happened after Ulquiorra entered the room, the zanpakuto vanishing, and the celebrating afterwards. The rest he left for viewing. Then, he opened the door to where Uryu and Renji were and said both to them and everyone else in on the plan, "Go." They nodded and raced off, their zanpakutos filled with new devices. Szayel turned back into his lab, looking at the three glowing tubes and said to the occupants, smiling sardonically, "I gave you life, now watch me take it."

4*4*4*4*

Yammy laughed in anticipation as he heard Szayel say, "Go," through synchronization that had been extended to the intruders. He got up and started lumbering through the halls, destroying the walls with his huge form. He heard a sound and looked down to see the Quincy following him. "You might need my help against Kaname Tousen," Uryu explained. "Yammy snorted. "I doubt it. But you can come watch."

4*4*4*4*

Starrk sighed as Szayel's voice woke him up. Sighing again, he took Lilynette's hand and said, "Come on. Remember what we gotta do?" Lilynette nodded, pink eye shining. "We've gotta wipe out any Arrancar that might side with Aizen, and then we gotta kill those execution people. Last, we go tell the scary braid-lady and her friends to get ready to heal lotsa injuries, and then we wait for the signal to attack Aizen." Starrk nodded and said, "And remember. We gotta do it fast-" "-and without mercy. I remember."

4*4*4*4*

Tia frowned as she sonidoed down the hall, her fraccion for once entirely serious. "Are we really going to kill Aizen?" she heard Sun-sun ask. Tia started to answer, but then Barragan appeared, along with his fraccion and Grimmjow. "Yes," Barragan said simply. "It's kill or be killed." "And also," Grimmjow added, sneering. "Someone needs to beat that megalomaniac's ego down. I mean, seriously, standing on the sky?" Tia sighed and handed a small object to Apache, still running. "Remember, take the Hougyokou straight to that scientist, Mayuri. We're just really lucky Aizen entrusted me to hold the true Hougyokou."

4*4*4*4*

Ichigo, Chad, Rukia, and Renji ran down the white corridors, following Nnoitora and Tesla. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" Renji panted. Tesla sniffed, "Of course we are. We'll get to where we need to be in time, if not exactly when we are supposed to." "That's great," Rukia grunted. "But are we going the right way?" "Shut the hell up, all of you!" Nnoitora yelled. "Yes, master!" Tesla replied immediately. Everyone else simply glanced at one another in despair.

4*4*4*4*

Orihime was quiet as she, Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Ulquiorra walked down the hall. Everyone but Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Rukia had wanted her to stay with Unohana, Yachiru, and the rest. She'd been allowed to come on the grounds the last time she'd been told to stay out of a battle, it had resulted in her kidnapping. She'd also promised to take no unnecessary risks. "Ulquiorra?" she asked, making sure the captains couldn't hear. "Will you use Segunda Etapa?" "If I must," he answered. "But I would truly prefer not to, as it would hinder everybody else's abilities. They would be unable to battle well under it's spiritual pressure." Orihime nodded vigorously. "I remember." Ulquiorra looked at her curiously. "Are you scared?" She chuckled slightly. "Not for me."

4*4*4*4*

Aizen frowned. Tousen should have been here by now, as well as his Espada. He had called for a meeting ten minutes ago. He reached out for Tousen's spiritual pressure right as it flared and vanished. His brown eyes widened. He knew that select members of the Espada would rebel, but already? Aizen's thoughts raced. Who would have rebelled? Who was strong enough to defeat Tousen? Slowly, his thoughts slowed as it became clear. Of course Barragan would rebel, and he would defeat Tousen. Nnoitora, he loved to fight. Grimmjow, he had authority issues. Szayel, he loved a challenge. Tia was too aloof, Starrk too lazy, Ulquiorra too devoted, the good little Hinamori. Aizen smirked. Yes, Ulquiorra was definitely his favorite, so useful, and so blind. Yammy, though... Yammy would follow Ulquiorra.

Aizen leaned back in his chair, ready to watch the carnage that would ensue of Ulquiorra, Tia, Starrk, and Yammy against Nnoitora, Grimmjow, Barragan, and Szayel. "Grimmjow will finally get the round with Ulquiorra he's itching for, eh, Gin?" ... "Gin?"

4*4*4*4*

Grimmjow sauntered into the throne room, Nnoitora slinking in behind him. Grinning ferally, Grimmjow threw himself into his chair, listening to Nnoitora snicker in his creepy voice, "Well, well, looks like we're the first ones here, yes, LORD Aizen?" Aizen smiled. "Yes, Quinta. Although, I must admit I expected Octava and Segunda to be with you." Nnoitora looked around, an over-dramatic frown on his thin face. "Huh? They're late, it seems." Grimmjow glared at Aizen, massive grin widening. "Guess we'll have to get started without them."

4*4*4*4*

Grimmjow hit the wall next to the column Barragan was behind, a contraption from Szayel hiding his presence. Grimmjow nodded to Barragan, then raced at Aizen again, snarling in his released state. Barragan walked out, saying, "There's my sig-" His words were cut off and his Fraccion stared in horror. Aizen had shot Hado 88 (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon) at Grimmjow, who dodged the Kido attack from the past Captain of the Kido Corps. Barragan hadn't. Aizen noticed the old man and finished him off quickly, wondering where Ulquiorra was. Kido was tiring.

Orihime gasped and looked at Ulquiorra. "How did he kill Barragan so easily?" "I'm not sure," he replied, still hiding his presence from Aizen, who was finishing off Barragan's enraged fraccion. "Where's Szayel and the Kido-weakening substance?"

Nnoitora dodged yet again, frustrated beyond belief. Aizen was wearing him down bit-by-bit, and he had yet to mark Aizen! Barragan was dead, his fraccion were dead, and Tesla was unconscious and out of harm's way. He hated to admit it, but it was time for help. Reciting the signal Tia had written, he started, "From the Court of Purest Souls-" "Comes the darkest blight-" Tia continued, slashing down out of nowhere. "To destroy the order always kept in the Hollow World," Starrk finished, firing at Aizen. "Tercera! Primera! I expected more from you," Aizen chided.

Just then, Yammy's fist came crashing down. "You don't understand, Aizen," Yammy laughed. "For hollows, self-preservation overcomes all." Aizen glared viciously at the bloody Grimmjow, exhausted Nnoitora, angry Tia, disgusted Starrk, and amused Yammy. All were released. He opened his mouth, but was forced to dodge as Senbonzakura flew forward and Kenpachi's sword flew out of nowhere.

"We realized," Tia took over the dialogue. "You're on the losing side, Aizen. We're safer with these Shinigami than we are with you." Ichigo came down from above, calling out in his harsh, hollowfied voice, "So, united, we'll CRUSH YOU!" As Aizen avoided the furious attacks raining from all directions, he noticed Ulquiorra standing motionless by the door. "Cuarta! Where is my zanpakuto?" he asked calmly. Everyone halted, waiting to see Aizen's reaction to Ulquiorra's betrayal. "I do not have it," Ulquiorra stated blandly. Aizen smiled. "Where is it?" "The woman rejected it," he explained as Orihime walked out to stand by him.

Everyone was out on the battlefield now. Everyone watched as Aizen laughed. Small, entirely too-amused chuckles as he he said, "Oh, Ulquiorra. I did not expect your betrayal, but I did expect Orihime to reject my Zanpakuto. So I gave you a fake, but all the power went to the real Kyoka Suigetsu of course. I must thank you, Hime. I could not have beaten everyone had you not restored my zanpakuto." Aizen was suddenly directly in Orihime's horrified face, his hair brushing her cheek. Before Orihime could do anything, Aizen suddenly reeled back, surprise written across his bloody face. He laughed.

"Temper, temper, Cifer. There was a time you wouldn't have minded, and if you did, you would have used a bala, or a cero. A fist would have been beneath you." I did what you would least expect, knowing it was what you would not dodge," Ulquiorra refuted calmly. Aizen smiled. "Well, then. You're first." "Don't open your eyes, Orihime," Ulquiorra whispered. "No matter what." Orihime closed her eyes right as Aizen said, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

The effects were instantaneous. Each death was painfully obvious as she smelled the blood, felt the warm droplets splash and fleck her skin, heard each person's dying screams and curses, tasted the fear in the room. To her horror, she was paralyzed by shock. She couldn't move. Not when she heard Ichigo scream "Rukia!", just to have it cut off with a gurgle. Not when she heard Yachiru's distant scream of, "KENNY!" Not when Byakuya whispered, "Damn you..." or when Nel's childish scream was cut off abruptly and Nnoitora's roar of rage was gone seconds later. Then, the worst. Ulquiorra suddenly stumbled in front of her; she could feel him even with her eyes. He was still in first release, she could tell, but now he hadn't the strength to go in Segunda Etapa.

His warm hands gripped her waist and he kissed her, soft and nice. Her eyes flew open at last to see his emerald orbs. "Don't look," he warned. He was beaten and bloody and Orihime tried to call on her fairies, but Ulquiorra kissed her again, harder this time. Trying to distract her from what was about to happen. She held his viridian gaze as he whispered, "Thank you, my heart. Don't look away from my eyes." "Wha...?" she started, but then the harsh sound of metal entering Hierro broke her off. Orihime's dove-grey eyes didn't leave his jade eyes as the shine that had just barely appeared in them slowly faded. Orihime's eyes widened before squeezing shut, and she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "I REJECT! I REFUSE! I RENOUNCE!"

Nothing happened. Orihime frowned. Nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes. And met Aizen's frozen stare. She screamed. Lily appeared and kicked Aizen's stone face. "Wow. You did it. You refused to let time flow." "That's not all," Tsubaki growled, appearing next to Lily. "You rejected the death and injuries of everyone in this room. Good job, woman. Now that time is conveniently waiting for us, what do you want to do?" "Wait," Shun'o said, materializing. "You forgot to tell her what she renounced." Orihime's bewildered ash eyes moved to the blonde fairy. "You renounced all the illusions Aizen has made," the fairy said proudly. "So, now what?"

Orihime's face hardened. "Tsubaki, destroy Kyoka Suigetsu. But don't look at it." Tsubaki flew forward and pierced the blade. None of them looked, but nothing shattered. "Did it work?" Orihime asked. Tsubaki nodded. "Just wait." Orihime kneeled down and brushed the blood off of the corner of Ulquiorra's still mouth, and then stood, slowly releasing her hold on the temporal flow. Simultaneously, three things happened. One, there was the tinkling noise of thousands of pieces of metal hitting the floor. Two, everyone in the room stood and advanced on Aizen. Last, Aizen lost it.

He pointed at Orihime and shouted hysterically, "Reverse, Hado 91! Thousand Hand Dark Heaven Culling Spear!" Twin shafts of darkness flew forward and pinned Orihime to a wall, one in her throat and the other in her abdomen. Shock rounded her silver eyes as the two foreign objects entered her body with a flash of dark violet. Her eyes fluttered shut and her heart slowed. What happened next was truly horrifying.

Suddenly, everyone was flat on their bellies as immense spiritual pressure pounded them mercilessly into the ground. Even Unohana, who was miles away, felt suddenly weak. Kenpachi was on his knees, along with Aizen, both resisting the power pouring out of the demon in front of them.

"Segunda Etapa," Tia breathed. "What?" Uryu forced out. "Form... of bankai," she gasped, struggling to breathe. "Virtually... impossible to reach... heavily influenced by... emotion." Aizen was now being held in the air by a thin, powerful tail wrapped around his neck. While Ulquiorra's facial expression was utterly blank, violent intention poured thickly out of his every pore, smothering everything in sight. Ulquiorra gazed up at Aizen, his face unreadable while Aizen choked and scrabbled at the tail around his neck. Aizen's zanpakuto was crushed, his fingernails didn't seem to be affecting Ulquiorra, and any Kido he tried was swallowed by the loose black energy around Ulquiorra.

Then, Ulquiorra smiled. His eyes were cold, his nose wrinkled with dislike, and he smiled, big and broad. For the first time, people realized Ulquiorra had really big fangs. Really big, really sharp fangs. "You know, Aizen," Ulquiorra said in a conversational tone. "I should be congratulating you. After all, you've made me damn pissed. Me! An emotionless FUCKING being! That takes some shitty people skills, Aizen." Aizen was blue, and Ulquiorra loosened his tail slightly, still grinning. "Oops. Can't kill you yet. I want to make this torturous. Szayel won't be happy with me. When I'm done, we might be able to use your pieces as a paper weight. Only maybe. Anyway, there won't be much left to study. Let's start with your toes."

(**A.N. WEAK STOMACHED PEOPLE AND AIZEN LOVERS: LOOK AWAY! THIS IS M FOR A REASON. IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE TORTURE, SKIP TO THE NEXT BIG, BOLD LETTERS. SORRY. I'M A TWISTED, SICK CHILD.**)

Still smiling, Ulquiorra reached up, and, one by one, he twisted off Aizen's toes. Aizen screamed once. Reaching up further, he slowly crushed Aizen's shins to dust, mangling flesh and muscle. Carefully, he bit Aizen's toeless foot and explained, "Like a bat, my canines carry a blood clotting substance. Can't let you bleed to death, now." With that, he dug in his claws and yanked out Aizen's kneecaps, tossing them carelessly to the side. Aizen screamed again, and Ulquiorra asked in amusement, "Did that hurt? That's sad. I'm hardly even started." His smirk grew.

Slowly, he skinned Aizen's thighs, peeling the skin off like you would an animal, the blood pumping out sluggishly. Aizen whimpered. Ulquiorra smoothly castrated Aizen with a lance he summoned, and then casually forced it into Aizen's mouth, making him chew and swallow. Ulquiorra, smiling, whispered, "That's for every time you forced me to feed her." Aizen's usually piercing eyes were hazy and unfocused, but dry and full of hatred as he spat, "She deserved it, the bitch." Ulquiorra smiled wider and arched an eyebrow. Using his black talons, he sliced open Aizen's stomach.

By now, almost all the spectators, Espada, shinigami, Quincy, and human alike, we're sick. Kenpachi manfully wasn't. Until Ulquiorra pulled out Aizen's intestines to decorate Aizen's wrists and ankles. Kenpachi turned a nasty shade of green when Ulquiorra grabbed Aizen's stomach and fashioned a hat to cover his brown curls. "So pretty," Ulquiorra snickered. Byakuya swallowed hard. Rukia threw up. Everyone else was watching with horrified fascination.

Using the tip of a lance, he carefully carved elaborate designs into Aizen's torso, ignoring the inhuman sounds, except to chuckle. Creating a cero and holding it like a blowtorch, he burned off Aizen's arms and hair, replacing the stomach-hat immediately afterwards. Finally, Ulquiorra whispered, "Sayonara, Aizen," and shoved his hand through Aizen's heart. As Aizen let out his last breath, Ulquiorra's tail slowly uncoiled. The whole gruesome affair had taken less than ten minutes.

(**WE'RE DONE. IF YOU READ, CONGRATULATIONS. PLEASE DON'T JUDGE ME. I WAS IN A VIOLENT MOOD WHEN I WROTE THAT.**)

Everyone watched Aizen's mangled, desecrated body fell to the ground. Just then, there was a familiar chuckling. They looked up to see the entire Gotei Thirteen standing there, along with Gin, who was in chains. He was standing by Rangiku, so he didn't look too upset. Yamamoto looked on at the scene with disgust and wide eyes as Gin laughed. "Wow, Aizen, think ya made poor Ulqui mad enough?" he teased the corpse. Ulquiorra finally lost the manic grin and stared bleakly at Gin. Gin's face softened, and he asked, "Wha'd he do ta ya, anyway?"

Ulquiorra's tears fit too well on his face as he shifted back to his normal form and finally realized Las Noches was in pieces around him, torn apart by his spiritual pressure. He walked over slowly to one of the few walls still standing in a four mile radius and tapped the two spears still pinning Orihime to the wall, catching her body. The newcomers' gasped as they saw what he was holding. Orihime's brilliant orange hair splayed across his white uniform as he gazed gently down at her, holding her as softly as if she was glass. Gin's smile vanished and he whispered, "Aizen, ya rotten bastard. Ya got what was comin'. I hope you had time ta regret killin' tha' poor girl."

Everyone was devastated at what had happened, but it was Orihime's closest friends and her Espada family who's reaction was the most heartbreaking. Chad stood slowly, tears pouring down his brown face. Uryu was staring with a horrible blankness at the two bleeding holes in Orihime's light body. Rangiku was bawling into a crying Gin's shoulders, the tears slowly trailing out of his slitted eyes and dripping off his pointed chin into her golden hair. Renji was whispering, "We failed. We came so far, and we failed." Rukia was sobbing as she tugged futilely at an unresponsive Ichigo's arm, trying to get him to rise. He just laid there, tears pouring out of his closed eyes. Byakuya was shaking his head over and over and Kenpachi wouldn't move from his kneeling position.

Nnoitora was sitting in a corner, his head in his shaking hands. Grimmjow was yelling hoarsely and attacking clumps of debris savagely. Tia and Starrk were staring at the ground with moist eyes, holding a screaming Lilynette. Yammy was laying on the ground, staring at Ulquiorra's emotionless face. His eyes were dead as he looked down at the soft girl in his arms. Suddenly, a soft hand cupped his cheek. She couldn't speak; her vocal cords had been torn. Otherwise, she would have healed herself. "Orihime," he whispered, then looked up and called desperately, "Help! She's still alive!" Soi Fon gasped, and being the fastest, shunpoed off to get Unohana.

Orihime brushed Ulquiorra's teartracks with her thumb, smiling weakly. He gazed down at her helplessly. 'No time,' she mouthed to him. Ulquiorra kissed her forehead and soothed, "Don't worry. We'll save you. Like you saved us, we'll save you." Yamamoto appeared at Ulquiorra's shoulder and said sadly, "I apologize for interrupting your moment, but I have been told all the proceedings, and when you are reborn, Orihime, we cannot give you your memories, but the second you are born, you will see shinigami, and all you have to do is call and we'll talk and help you." Ulquiorra was looking at Yamamoto violently as he hissed, "What are you talking about? She WILL make it!" Yamamoto stared at him with more compassion than any would have thought possible.

"No, she won't. But your services to us are incredible and more than we could have asked. Arrancar can survive off of hollows alone, correct?" Ulquiorra nodded, eyes dead once more. Yamamoto bowed his head. "Very well. You have the cordial thanks of Soul Society, and you and your comrades shall be considered valuable allies of Soul Society. You will be allowed to live in your current form, free of Soul Society reign, you shall not be considered enemies, and you will have full admission to travel to Soul Society and the Human world at all times under the condition you only eat hollows." Ulquiorra's emerald eyes pierced and sent shivers down the Captain-Commander's spine as he said, "You are doing this for your own benefit. I do not mind. I accept, but I cannot decide for the other Espada." Each of them nodded.

Orihime let out a strangled gasp, and Ulquiorra's full attention zoomed to her. Somehow, she completed the impossible as she choked out, "Ulquiorra... I... love you... Ulquiorra." She lived just long enough to hear him whisper, "And I love you, Orihime, my heart, my life."

4*4*4*4*

After Orihime died, Ulquiorra went into a state of shock. He just stood there, looking tenderly at her face. When anyone came near them, he attacked blindly and savagely. Soi Fon, who felt strangely close to him, worried over this while Soul Society finished anything the Espada and Orihime's friends hadn't. Finally, Grimmjow came up to her and said, "Don't worry. We'll take care of him." Soi Fon nodded, biting her lip, and then impulsively hugged the blue-haired Espada, feeling protected. Grimmjow was surprised, but hugged her back, murmuring soft words of comfort. It was odd, but it seemed Orihime had given these Arrancar the ability to care, and they had created a family.

When Yamamoto moved to dispose of Aizen's body and clean the throne room, the Espada stopped him. "Leave it," Starrk said, rubbing red eyes. "Leave it exactly as it is, including the body." Grimmjow looked away, strangely sober as he finished, "Let this be a reminder to never, ever, _ever_, get Ulquiorra angry again." "It'll be a bitter reminder," Yamamoto warned. Grimmjow laughed humorlessly. "Old man, if you can tell me a single goddamn good thing that came out of Princesa's death, please, tell me. This reminder should be bitter. No one should ever forget this." Yamamoto bowed his head, and then siad, "Her death made you a family with an unbreakable bond." Nnoitora said in a low voice, holding Adult-Nel's hand, "That will never be a fair trade."

Ichigo looked at Rukia. "I-isn't it st-strange how af-affected the Espada a-are?" he asked in a stuffy voice. Rukia shook her head. "No. Ai-Aizen gave them l-life, and s-sh-she gave them a-a reason to l-live. She w-was they're l-light, a-and now sh-she's gone!" she wailed. Just then, a bloody Szayel appeared. "Where the FUCK have you been!" Nnoitora shouted. "Killing Aizen's clones, thank you very much," he sniffed haughtily, and then looked around.

"What happened?" he asked, golden eyes furrowing behind their glasses. "Pet died," Nnoitora said shortly. Szayel sat down, hard. "Died?" he asked incredulously. "Like, gone? Forever?" Nnoitora gestured to Ulquiorra. Szayel shook his head. "Princesa, gone?" he repeated dazedly.

Tia walked up to Ulquiorra, who snarled with the fury of an untamed beast. She kept coming and he shot a cero at her. She took it. He shot again. Once more, she let it hit. By now, she was right next to him. Slowly, she embraced him, Orihime's body pressed between their bodies. And Ulquiorra cried. Not gentle sobs, but body-racking, soul-tearing, heart-breaking heaves of pure anguish and pain. It was pure despair, the despair of having nothing, and not knowing it, only to be given everything, but by the time he reached for it, having it torn from his desperately clutching fingers. Finally, people understood what he was choking out.

"Why? Why her, Tia? Why not me? Why not any of us? Why didn't I die, too? Why did she leave me? Why can't I come?" He froze, then said with painful clarity that everyone heard; "I want to die." Tia just hugged him tighter and said, "Us too, Ulquiorra. Every single one of us, too."

4*4*4*4*

Tatsuki would never forget the look on Ichigo's face when he stumbled into Urahara's shop, Orihime's broken body in his arms. He had said it was muggers. Tatsuki didn't believe him. Now, it was Orihime's funeral, and dozens of people Tatsuki didn't know showed up. A bunch of weird people showed up with Shinji. Rangiku came with a tall, silver-haired man and a short, white-haired kid. A dark-skinned woman with golden eyes stood next to Kisuke, along with a tiny hornet-like girl. Next to Rukia and Renji stood a regal looking man with silver hair clips. There was a delicate, sickly looking girl with her black hair in a cap next to a scary man with a 69 tattoo.

The list went on. What caught Tatsuki's eye was a group of nine standing off to the side. The one who caught her attention first was a man with electric blue hair that alternately glared at the sky and gazed sorrowfully at the coffin. Next was a man who had to be at least seven feet tall with long black hair that was frowning hugely. There was a man with shaggy brown hair laying on the ground, tears streaking his face. Next to him was a girl with a pink eye and light hair that was bawling as she clutched her knees to her chest. An old man looked like he was praying. Hitting his head on a tree was a massive man with orange and black hair that seemed strangely familiar. A man with bubble-gum pink hair kept reaching under his glasses to wipe his eyes, and gratefully accepted a square of white cloth from a blonde woman next to him, her teal eyes glittering with unshed tears.

Last, a teenager stood away from even his group. He simply stood, a frightening blankness all around him, especially in his amazing green eyes. Everything about him screamed he was the one who belonged in the coffin. All through the funeral, Tatsuki watched them, resolved to talk to them afterwards. However, as soon as the funeral ended, they vanished. Tatsuki quickly called out to Rangiku and asked, "Who were those nine?"

Rangiku didn't even need an explanation. She sighed, wiping at her blue eyes and said, "A gang called the Espada, led by a terrible, terrible man named Aizen. They befriended Orihime, and became the family she never had. It's a long story, so let's sit on the grass. It all started when..."

Eighteen years later~

Fifteen year-old Hikaru laughed as she skipped through puddles on her way to Tatsuki's Dojo. Rain was her favorite weather because it bound two untouchable things together. As she got there, Tatsuki called, "Hime! Why are you back so soon? Class ended five minutes ago!" Hikaru blushed. "Excuse me, Tatsuki. I forgot my backpack." Tatsuki laughed. "Of course, Hime." Hikaru paused. "Tatsuki? Why is it you and all the shinigami call me Hime? I like my name, Light, but why does Hime feel... familiar?" Tatsuki shrugged. "You just remind us of a girl we used to know. As for why it feels familiar, I'm sure you'll find out someday."

Hikaru sighed, and then beamed and waved as she walked out, blue hairpins flashing. The flower hairpins had been a gift from who she personally thought was her guardian angel, although he hadn't spoken to her, ever, although she'd been seeing him and her other angels all her life. The shinigami, especially Ichigo, Chad, Renji, and Rukia, and often Hikaru's older friend, Uryu, saved her from hollows most of the time, but sometimes, one of strange nine would. It wasn't only hollows these nine saved her from, though.

On days she forgot to do her homework, the next day it would all be done correctly, all in pink pen, done by a man with pink hair who tutored her in subjects she didn't understand. He helped her all the time, but never answered any personal questions, including what his name was. Whenever she was bullied at school, a girl with green hair and a white helmet that covered one pink eye would come and beat them up. Whenever men teased her about her full figure, or complimented crudely her sunset hair, a tall, lanky man with black hair would attack them while a woman with soft grey eyes and seafoam hair would comfort her. A blue-haired man who called hair 'Princesa' taught her to summon and use six fairies that came out of the blue flower pins her favorite of the nine had given her when she was eight and her parents died.

A colossal man with a ginger ponytail would come and try her exotic foods. When her parents died in a car crash, a sleepy man with long brown hair and a dark, blonde woman adopted her, bought her a mansion, supplied her with money, and came and visited her whenever she was in need of parents, whether for school or just for a parental guidance. An old man with one eye loved to visit her and tell her all sorts of story about magical realms, and lots of stories about shinigami and Arrancar, which Hikaru had figured out they were. She didn't care. They were still her angels. These eight came and spoke with her often, calling her Princesa, and painting beautiful stories about the girl who saved them from hell. They never gave her a name, but Hikaru liked to imagine this girl was her. They made a lot of the same choices and thought the same. Her angels always smiled when she told them this and told her she could be whoever she wanted. They never answered any questions about who they were though. One of them didn't speak at all, but was always there.

He was her favorite. She was in love with him, she knew. She'd been in love with him all of her life. Ever since she was small, and woke up screaming from a nightmare, to see his emerald eyes looking at her, black lips humming comfortable lullabies, she'd loved him. Unlike the other eight, no other human could see him, so he followed her to school, helped her when she was shopping, grabbing things she couldn't reach, writing answers on her tests, he was there for her every need, yet he still made her stand on her own. Without speaking, he taught her how to fight, while Tatsuki taught her technique. He made her stand up for herself, and showed her she was strong, refusing to let the others help when she purified her first hollow. As she got older, she got him to sit by her while she slept, and now, they actually slept in the same bed. Nothing made Hikaru happier than the mornings she woke up in his strong, pale arms, tear-streaked face inches from hers. He was her first kiss, and lately, they'd been going further. Hikaru blushed as she remembered last night...

"_My angel?" He looked at her where she was laying on the bed. He had been standing in the doorway, watching her eat in bed. She placed her plates on her bedside table and patted the bed next to her. "Come on. It's time for bed." He walked slowly over, his jade eyes not leaving her silver ones. Then, he looked quizzically at her body. She wasn't in pajamas. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Grab my jammies for me?" He grabbed the white gown he'd picked out for her and handed it to her. He didn't turn around when she pulled off her shirt. It didn't bother Hikaru. He'd given her baths as child. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her before, although she'd noticed his eyes trace her body differently than they had then. Hikaru wanted to test that tonight._

_As she tried to slide out of her skinny jeans, they got stuck on her wide, curvy hips, causing her to sigh in frustration. Her green-eyed angel moved forward and yanked on her jeans, white hands sliding down her creamy thighs. She gasped at the reaction that induced, and looked up to see his verdant eyes wide as they met hers. Experimentally, he ran his hands up her legs again, causing her to gasp and shiver. She watched, almost fearful of what would happen next (her blonde angel-mother had given her 'the talk'). A small smile curved his black lips, and he leaned down and kissed her, hands still on her thighs._

_She instinctively opened her mouth and relaxed, the kissing a familiar pattern. Slowly, he pressed her back into the bed, kissing her like he was trying to devour her soul, her matching him in passion. She loved this. It was the only time her angel dropped his emotionless mask. His breathing quickened when she moaned as one of his hands glided up her stomach, resting on her white bra. Almost curious, he squeezed lightly, causing her to arch and gasp. The hand still on her thigh slid onto the inside, fingering her wet panties, lightly groping her breast, and still kissing her. Then he pulled back and gave her a smirk that said, 'Interesting.'_

Hikaru smiled weakly at him and pulled on her nightgown, trembling as he laid down beside her and held her lightly to his chest, minty breath blowing in her face, the smell familiar and comforting.

"Hey, Princesa! What's with the blush?" Hikaru looked up to see her eight guardians standing in a semi-circle. "N-no reason," she stuttered, flushing more. The tall man with the big smile rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Ya know she shares a bed with him now. Who knows what they get up to at night?" "Leave her alone," the one with long green hair giggled. "It can't be worse than you or I." The pink haired one laughed. "You never know. He's shown to be quite... creative when it comes to her. Remember what he did to...?" Everyone nodded, sobering up.

The bluehaired one said suddenly, "So, Princesa, you've been wondering why everyone calls you Hime, right? You complain about it all the time." Hikaru nodded, getting slightly hopeful. "Well, I'm Grimmjow." She frowned. That name brought images. Sprawled on a couch, grinning ferally as he addressed Ichigo... "Nnoitora," the black-haired one said. Lunging at a man with slicked back hair, with six arms and crescent moon horns, snarling... "Nel," the one with pink cheeks smiled. A small child turning into an adult, swallowing a giant yellow beam and spitting it out pink... "Yammy," the one who tried her food said. Giant fist coming crashing down on the same man with greased hair... "Tia," her blonde 'mother' said. Brown hands reaching out, laughter coming out from behind her collar as she tried to catch Hikaru and her angel... "Starrk and-" "-Lilynette!" The girl who defended Hikaru winked and posed. Lilynette jumping on Starrk mercilessly as he lay, groaning, on a white, familiar couch in a crowded room, her shinigami friend Chad watching... "Barragan," the kingly one said. Blue electricity hitting Barragan full on in the chest, somehow leaving him clinging to life... "Szayel," her tutor said, smiling and flicking his pink hair. Szayel standing next to a young Uryu, chuckling happily, flipping his hair...

"Remember yet?" Grimmjow asked, grinning. "These are memories?" she asked dumbstruck. "But I can only remember pieces..." "Bring him out," Nnoitora said. And her love walked out. Stretching out a pale hand, he said, speaking for the first time, "Come with me, woman." Hikaru, no, Orihime, gasped. "Ulquiorra?" she asked, eyes watering. "Yup, she remembers," Nel smiled. Orihime lunged forward, kissing Ulquiorra. "Why haven't you spoken ONCE in the past fifteen years? she demanded. "I would have remembered everything the second you did!" "Exactly," he said simply, holding her to him. "We had to wait until you were ready." Orihime kissed him, and then leaned her head against his chest. " I understand." Hallibel, smiling in her collar, opened a garganta. Holding hands with Ulquiorra on one side and Lilynette on the other, Orihime walked in, smiling as she saw Las Noches.

"Home, sweet, home."


End file.
